Head of Total Rewards

Focus Financial Partners•St. Louis, MO

About The Position

The Head of Total Rewards is responsible for leading the strategy, design, execution, and continuous improvement of enterprise-wide compensation, benefits, equity, and recognition programs. Reporting to the CHRO, this leader will modernize total rewards programs, build scalable processes, develop a high-performing team, and ensure rewards programs support business growth, performance, and employee engagement. This role requires a strategic, hands-on leader who can balance long-term vision with day-to-day execution. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable operating at the executive level, developing talent, improving processes, and getting into the details to drive results. Focus is a leading financial services firm comprised of integrated wealth management, family office, and business management services. Blending deep expertise and expansive resources with a boutique, client-first fiduciary philosophy, Focus helps individuals, families, and institutions navigate complex financial situations with highly personalized solutions tailored to their unique needs.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive experience in compensation, benefits, or total rewards, including senior leadership responsibility
Experience with Workday, including Compensation, Advanced Compensation, Benefits, and related HR systems modules required
Proven success building, scaling, or transforming total rewards functions in a complex or high-growth environment
Deep expertise in compensation strategy, market benchmarking, incentive design, and rewards governance
Strong working knowledge of employee benefits and retirement programs
Demonstrated ability to improve processes, simplify operations, and drive measurable outcomes
Strong financial and analytical acumen with the ability to translate data into business insights
Executive presence with strong communication and stakeholder management skills
Bachelor’s degree required

Nice To Haves

Experience in financial services, professional services, private equity-backed, or multi-entity organization preferred
Advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive total rewards strategy aligned with business goals and talent priorities
Serve as a trusted advisor to the CHRO and senior leadership team on compensation, benefits, and market trends
Ensure rewards programs are competitive, equitable, and scalable across all business units
Lead the design, administration, and governance of base salary, annual incentive, commission, and long-term incentive programs
Oversee annual compensation cycles including merit planning, bonus processes, promotions, and market reviews
Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and compensation modeling
Support executive compensation programs, including board-level materials, analytics, and recommendations
Ensure compliance with all applicable compensation regulations, reporting, and governance requirements
Lead strategy and oversight of health, retirement, wellness, leave, and other employee benefit programs
Evaluate vendor partnerships and optimize benefits offerings to balance employee experience, competitiveness, and cost efficiency
Drive employee education and engagement and education around benefits programs and resources
Assess current processes and implement more efficient, scalable ways of working across total rewards
Lead systems optimization and process automation, including partnership with Workday team
Build governance, controls, and repeatable processes that improve execution and service delivery
Support integration and harmonization efforts across a dynamic and evolving business portfolio
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing total rewards team focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Establish clear priorities, development plans, and operating rhythms across the function